Title by title, Studio Barnhus, the label founded in 2010 by Axel Boman, Petter Nordvisk and Kórnel Kováks, proves to be one of the most captivating platforms in new European house. With only eight releases, the Swedish label has won over underground fans with its carefree spirit and choice for young talents of iconoclastic and emotional electronic music. This new release means a new meeting with Shakarchi & Stranéus, who left us astounded with their debut single, the magical “Dödskallar Och Korallev”, released in late 2010.
This “Something... / Liseberg Remixes” recovers the moving “Liseberg” in the form of remixes, plus it brings us two new compositions on which Faik Shakarchi and Daniel Stranéus expand their horizons, without changing their distinctive sound somewhere between festivity and melancholy. “Something” starts out tiny and dispersed, guided by a rim shot of galactic echoes, from which the rhythm starts to build, soon joined by a succinct vocal sample repeating the word “jumping”, as an anticipation of what's coming. Because when the song reaches its midway point, the duo's trademark sound sets in, colourful and evocative, exploding with hats and snares on the verge of clipping. In a word: devastating. With “Jamison”, we return to enchanted, fantastic landscapes through chime-filled melodies and passionate vocal snippets that give the track vigour, in spite of the total absence of beats. Regarding the remixes, South African Alan Abrahams, alias Portable, does his thing for the first time under a new moniker, Portacode, wrapping the enchanting melodies of “Liseberg” in dancehall rhythms seasoned with Caribbean percussion. The result is a lysergic reconstruction, swaying and dazzling. The package is completed with another dub incursion, by Londoner James Bailey (Tapes), who delivers a delicate remix that reinforces the emotion of the fragile melodies of the song with plenty of sub-bass.
